


...Is Another's Beginning

by ellipsisthegreat



Series: Bedtime Story!Verse [4]
Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-26
Updated: 2010-12-26
Packaged: 2017-10-14 03:15:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/144741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellipsisthegreat/pseuds/ellipsisthegreat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The last part of the ‘Bedtime Story’ Verse (I think). Joanna’s birthday party…</p>
            </blockquote>





	...Is Another's Beginning

_**Disclaimer:** _Star Trek belongs to J.J. Abrams, Gene Roddenberry, and all those other cool cats who own it. All I own is the plot!_ _

"…happy birthday, dear Joanna, happy birthday to you!" Everyone cuts off except for Bones and Uhura, the former of whom has a surprisingly nice voice which harmonizes almost perfectly with the latter's already known to be melodic trill. They hold out the final note for a moment longer, and smile at each other—Uhura's smile is wide, Bones' is small but no less warm—clapping with everyone else as Joanna blows out the candles on the cake Chekov made for her. (They wonder about Chekov baking, but he says cooking and chemistry are the same thing, and he's a chemistry whiz)

"Thanks so much, y'all!" Joanna says, beaming at them as Bones starts cutting the cake and passing it around. She takes a bite, and her grin grows impossibly (illogically) wider. "D'lishous!"

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Bones scolds, waving his fork at her.

In a show of solidarity for his 'niece,' Jim sticks his tongue out at Bones, showing off a half-chewed bite of cake. When Bones levels him with one of Those Looks, he retracts his tongue and grins that incorrigible grin that nearly always gets him out of trouble.

"Both of you behave." Bones says.

"Or you'll what, Bones-y?" Jim chirrups as Joanna snickers.

"Jim, you're allergic to a lot of stuff, and I know all of it." Bones says. "And Joanna, I don't have to give you your present, so don't press me."

Joanna's eyes widen; she seems genuinely surprised. "Present? You guys got me a present?"

"'Course we did, Jo-Jo." Jim says, ruffling her hair. "You're our favorite girl and it's your birthday."

She looks around at all of them, mouth forming a small 'o' as they all nod except for Spock, who merely inclines his head and arches an eyebrow at her.

And then she smiles—the smile that they know she got from Bones even if they've only seen it on him once or twice—and takes another bite of her cake, very pointedly chewing with her mouth closed.

Bones kisses her forehead and stands, bringing a small present out from its 'hiding place' in one of the higher kitchen cabinets.

"Open it, open it!" Jim says, bouncing in his chair.

"He's been like this ever since your dad talked to us about your birthday." Uhura says with a roll of her eyes, although she looks almost as excited as Jim does.

Joanna giggles and takes the gift from her father, turning it over in her hands twice before she begins peeling off the first strip of tape.

" _Oh my God_ , you are not one of those annoying present-openers who opens it like you're actually going to save the wrapping paper." Jim whines.

More giggling, this time followed by her ripping the paper the rest of the way off, opening the little box, and arching her eyebrow (another expression she obviously got from Bones, although this one is far more recognizable) at the contents. "A holovid?"

"Tha's no' jus' any auld holovid, lass!" Scotty says, whisking it out of her hands and placing it in the computer.

There's a short whir, and the screen goes black for a moment before it practically explodes with color, a large 18th century frigate that has 'HMS _Crusader_ ' emblazoned on the side bursting onscreen. Three options appear—'Play,' 'Chapter Selection,' and 'Extras.'

" _The Adventures of Dr. Bones and Captain Jamie._ " Comes Bones' voice from the speakers. " _Written and narrated by Lieutenant Commander Leonard "Bones" McCoy and illustrated by Lieutenant Paul "Cupcake" Jackson and Ensign Pavel Chekov. Using the vocal talents of Captain James T. Kirk, Commander Spock, Lieutenant Commander Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Lieutenant Commander Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu, Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, and Ensign Pavel Chekov; with music performed by Commander Spock, Lieutenant Commander Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, and Lieutenant Gaila._ "

Joanna is staring at the screen with wide eyes, her mouth hanging open.

"What do you think?" Bones asks, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We've been working on it for a while, now."

"You really made this for me?" She asks breathily, tearing her eyes away from the screen so that she can look at him.

"Sure did, punkie doodle." He says. "That way you'll be able to hear it no matter what. It's only got some stuff on this menu screen, here, but I reckon just about everyone on board's done something to help out with getting it put together. They're all in the credits." He pauses, ducking his head a little. "Do you…do you like it?"

And just like that her smile returns, at least twice as wide and bright as it was before, and she lets out a squeal as she launches herself into her father's arms. "It's the best birthday present I've ever gotten in my entire life! Thank you thank you thank you thank you!" Then she pulls away and looks at all of them. "Did y'all really go to all this trouble just for me?" When they nod, their grins almost as wide as hers, she looks back at her father. "Daddy, can I call everyone else my Uncles and Aunts like I do Uncle Jim? I wanted to ask before but I didn't know if they liked me, but if they did this that means they must like me, right?"

"Of course we like you, Joanna." Sulu says, his eyebrows jumping towards his hairline. "Why wouldn't we?"

"Well, I've only known y'all for two months, Mr. Sulu." She says. "How'm I s'posed to know? Y'all might just have been actin' polite 'cause I'm your doctor's daughter. Daddy didn't raise me to be the kind of girl who makes assumptions about people I don't but hardly know."

"I believe I speak for all of us, Miss McCoy, when I say that we are quite amenable to your company." Spock says blandly.

"That's his way of saying we would _love_ for you to call us your aunts and uncles." Uhura translates with a pleased smile.

"Besides, you called me your uncle right off the bat." Jim says.

"Daddy told me you like anyone who's got two legs and a vagina." Joanna says with a shrug.

Jim sputters, Bones chokes on air, Scotty and Sulu laugh, Chekov and Uhura try very hard _not_ to laugh, and Spock tries very hard not to look like he's trying very hard not to laugh. Joanna looks confused.

"What's so funny? That's what you said, Daddy." Joanna says.

"Be that as it may," Uhura nods at Bones when he gives her a grateful look, "I'm glad you're comfortable enough with us that you feel you can ask about this, now."

"I really wanted to ask sooner, Auntie Nyota." Joanna says, hugging Uhura. "And thank you so, _so_ much for helping Daddy with this. It's the best present a girl could ask for!"

"You're very welcome, Joanna." Uhura says.

Joanna pulls away and does much the same for the rest of them, although she stops in front of Spock with an expression on her face like she's having a heated argument with herself. Finally, with a rather resigned—but no less grateful—smile, she gives him a Vulcan salute.

Almost imperceptibly, Spock purses his lips. "While I commend you for your effort at honoring Vulcan tradition, Miss…Joanna, I can assure you that I would not be adverse to your adhering to human custom in this particular instance."

She blinks up at him, then throws her arms around his middle and squeezes. "Thanks, Uncle Spock!"

Spock hesitates for only a moment before reaching down and patting her head.

They're pretty sure the expression on his face (although it has hardly changed from his usual one) is the Vulcan equivalent of a smile.

The End.

 _A/N: I'm sure most of you had guessed by now what the present was going to be, lol. Hope everyone enjoyed it!_


End file.
